News of the day From Across the Globe, July 16

Chronicle news services

Updated 10:50 pm, Tuesday, July 15, 2014

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News of the day From Across the Globe, July 16

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1 Ukraine conflict: An air strike in the rebel-held town of Snizhne sent an apartment building crumpling to the ground Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and adding to the steadily mounting civilian death toll from the fighting between government forces and pro-Russian insurgents. Rebels pinned the attack on the Ukrainian air force. The government swiftly denied blame but was not immediately able to offer an alternative explanation.

2 Somalia arrests: More than 200 suspects were arrested Tuesday in a security sweep aimed at stemming a wave of militant attacks in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, police said. Security forces raided the homes and shops of suspects and arrested many people, mostly young men, in a joint operation by government forces and African Union troops. Although the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab was ousted from Mogadishu in 2011, militants continue to stage lethal attacks across the seaside city.

3 Cambodia protest: Opposition demonstrators disarmed Cambodian security forces and beat them with batons and flag poles in a confrontation Tuesday that came two weeks before the anniversary of the disputed general election last year that led to a bitter political deadlock. Officials said at least 40 people were injured, mostly security forces. Police arrested three lawmakers from the political party that led the protest to demand that Phnom Penh's Freedom Park be reopened to the public.

4 Cabinet shakeup: In the biggest Cabinet shuffle since Britain's coalition government took office in 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron moved Philip Hammond from defense to foreign secretary. Hammond replaces William Hague, who surprised many by announcing he was becoming leader of the House of Commons and will leave Parliament next year. Michael Fallon, formerly energy minister, was promoted to defense secretary. Several women gained promotion, including new Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, Environment Secretary Liz Truss and Tina Stowell, new leader of the House of Lords.

5 Record settlement: Survivors of one of Australia's deadliest wildfires are to be awarded nearly $468 million in a class-action settlement reached Tuesday, the largest such compensation in the nation's history. The fire killed 119 people and was the biggest in a series of blazes that tore through the southern Australian state of Victoria in 2009. More than 5,000 people joined the class action against electricity provider SP AusNet, arguing the company was negligent because it hadn't maintained its power lines, which sparked the fire.

6 Hong Kong democracy: Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying formally asked Beijing on Tuesday for legal changes that would ultimately let residents of the southern Chinese city elect his successor. The former British colony's Beijing-backed top official said in his report to China's legislature that consultations with nearly 125,000 people and groups in the city found they were "eager" for universal suffrage. He advised Beijing that changes to Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, were needed for democratic reform, kicking off a process that will let voters pick the city's leaders starting in 2017. In June, Beijing released a "white paper" document that asserted its complete authority over Hong Kong, which is promised a high degree of control over its own affairs under the principle of "one country, two systems."

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